Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-10-22
CHAPTER XXI.
HOW UMsLoPoGAAs HELD THE STAIR.
W. l.a1- o,,a orNthar


the door, Is there aught with which we may
fill the placeg Speak quickly for they will be
on us ere the daylight" l spoke thus, because
knew that we must hold this place or none,
as there were no inner doors in the palace, the
rooms being, separated one from another by
curtains. / also knew that il we could by
any means defend this doorway the murderers
could get in nowhere else; for the palace is
absolutely impregnable, that is, since the
secret door by which Sorais had entered on
that memorable night of attempted murder
had, by Nylepthas order, been closed up with
masonry.
81 have it, said Nyleptha, who, as usual
with her, rose to the emergency IN wonder
full way "On the farther side of the court
yard are blocks of cut marble-the workmen
brought them there for the bed of the new
statue of Incubu, my lord let us block the
door with them"
jumped at the idea; and having dispatched
one of the remaining maidens down the great
stair to see if she could obtain assistance from
the docks below where her father, who was
great merchant employing many men, had
his dwelling place, and set another to watch
through the doorway, we made our way back
across the courtyard to where the hewn
marble lay, and here we met Kara returning
from dispatching the first two messengers.
There were the marble blocks, sure enough,
broad, massive Jumps, some six inches thick,
and weighing about eighty pounds each, and
there, too, were couple of implements like
small stretchers that the workmen used to
carry them on. Without delay we got some
of the blocks on to the stretchers, and four of
the girls carried them to the doorway
listen, Macumazahn,n said Umslopogaas
"if these low fellows come, it is l who will
hold the stair against them till the door is
built up. Nay, nay, it will be mans death,
gainsay me not, old friend. 1t has been a
good day, let it now be good night See, /
throw myself down to rest on the marble
there; when their footsteps are nigh, wake
thou me, not before, for | need my strength"
and without a word he went outside and
flung himself down on the marble and was
instantly asleep.
At this time J. too, was overcome and was
forced to sit down by the doorway and con.
tent myself with directing operations. The
girls brought the blocks while Kara and Ny
leptha built them across the six foot wide
doorway, a triple row of them, for less would
be useless But the marble had to be brought
forty yards and there were forty yards to run
back, and though the girls labored gloriously,
even staggering along alone, each with "a
block in her arms, it was slow work dread
fully slow.
The light was growing now, and presently
in the silence we heard a commotion at the
far off bottom of the stair and the faint
clanking of armed men. AS yet the wall was
only two feet high, and we had been eight
minutes at the building Of it. SO they had
come. Alphonse had heard Alright.
The clanking sound came nearer and in the
ghostly gray of the dawning we could make
out long files of men, some fifty or so in all,
slowly creeping up the stair. They were now
at the half way standing place that rested
ON the great flying arch. and here perceiving
that something was going on above, they, to
our great gain, halted for three or four min
utes and consulted, then slowly and eau
tously advanced again.
We had been nearly quarter of an hour
at the work now, and it was almost three feet
high.
Then 1 woke Umslopogaas The great
man rose, stretched himself and swung In
kosikaas round his head.
at is WELL" he said 81 feel as a young
man once more. My strength has come back to
me, ay even as a lamp flares up before it
dies. Fear not, shall fight a good fight;
the wine and the sleep have put new heart
into me.
"Macumazahn, have dreamed a dream.
| dreamed that thou and stood together ON
a star and looked down on the world, and
thou vast as a spirit, Macumazahn, for light
famed through thy flesh, but could not see
what was the fashion of my own face. The
hour has come for us, old hunter. So be it;
we have had our time, but / would that in it
had seen some more such fights as yester-
days.
LET them bury me after the fashion of
my people, Macumazthn, and set my eyes
toward Zululand;" and he took my hand and
shook it, and then Turned to face the adj
vancing foe.
Just then, to my establishment, the Zu-
Vendi officer Kara clambered over our inn
urovised wall in his quiet, determined sort Of
way. and took his stand by the Zulu, I'M
.heathng his sword as he did so.
What, CONTEST thou toos" laughed out the
old warrior.
"Welcome-a welcome to thee, brave heart!
Owl for the man who can die like a man
owl for the death grippe and the ringing OF
steel Owl we are ready We wet our
beaks like eagles, our spears flash in the sun
we shake our assegais, and are hungry to
ngnt. w no coiheS W give SieetlnS W 1no
chieftainess' (inkos kaaslf "Who would
taste her kiss, whereof the fruit Is DEATH l
the Woodpecker, /, the Slaughterer, l, the
Swift footed |, Umslopogaas, OF the tribe of
the MaquilisiBi, Of the people OF Amazulu,
n captain of the regiment of the Nkomaba
kosi, /, Umslopogaas, the son of IndazimbI.
the son Of Arpi the son Of Mostlikaatze OF
the royal blood OF TChaka, of the Kings
House, / the hinged Man, the Induna. l
call to them as a buck calls, l challenge them,
l await them. Owl it is thou, it is thoui"
AS he spake. or rather chanted, his wild
war song, the armed men, among whom in
the growing light | recognized both Nasta
and Agon, came streaming up the stair with
rush, and enc big fellow. armed with q
dashed up the ten semicirculaf